Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School: school finances
Latest full year 2024-25, as an academy (accounts return, September to August). Lincolnshire · Primary · Academy converter
Large reserves
Holds £237k £921 per pupil in reserve, 12% of a year's income.
Status by year
- 2018-19 Healthy reserve between 3% and 8% of a year's income
- 2019-20 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
- 2020-21 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2021-22 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2022-23 Large reserves same as the year before
- 2023-24 Tight reserve under 3% of a year's income
- 2024-25 Large reserves reserve 8% or more of a year's income
Government funding vs spending per pupil
In 2024-25, government funding was £2.0m £7,619 per pupil and spending £1.7m £6,482 per pupil. Government funding was £292k £1,136 per pupil more than spending.
Funding is the money a school receives; spending is what it pays out. The two differ when a school adds to or draws on its savings, and because some money is spent on its pupils by someone else: the council (for example special needs top-ups and transport) or, for academies, the trust's central team. (IFS, pp. 7, 10, 46, 52, 54)
Government funding is the academy accounts line "grant funding from government" in academy (AAR) years and the CFR grant funding total in council-run years. The two are not strictly comparable: CFR line I07 can include some money that is not from government.
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
Reserve per pupil by year
Real terms: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026).
| Year | Pupils | Income | Spending | In-year balance | Reserve at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 257.0 | £2.0m £7,891 per pupil | £1.7m £6,482 per pupil | +£362k +£1,409 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2023-24 | 271.0 | £1.8m £6,815 per pupil | £1.7m £6,417 per pupil | +£108k +£399 per pupil | £0 £0 per pupil |
| 2022-23 | 296.0 | £1.8m £6,186 per pupil | £1.6m £5,574 per pupil | +£181k +£611 per pupil | £198k £669 per pupil |
| 2021-22 | 317.5 | £1.8m £5,609 per pupil | £1.7m £5,345 per pupil | +£84k +£265 per pupil | £187k £589 per pupil |
| 2020-21 | 337.0 | £1.8m £5,285 per pupil | £1.6m £4,878 per pupil | +£137k +£407 per pupil | £204k £605 per pupil |
| 2019-20 | 338.0 | £1.7m £4,914 per pupil | £1.5m £4,518 per pupil | +£134k +£396 per pupil | £155k £459 per pupil |
| 2018-19 | 330.0 | £1.6m £4,903 per pupil | £1.5m £4,470 per pupil | +£143k +£433 per pupil | £86k £261 per pupil |
Where the money comes from
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total income | £2.0m £7,891 per pupil | +61% +27% real | £7k | |
| Government funding | £2.0m £7,619 per pupil | +71% +34% real | £7k | |
| Special needs (SEN) funding | £247k £961 per pupil | +244% +171% real | £260 | |
| Pupil premium | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Money the school raised itself | £61k £237 per pupil | -46% -57% real | £237 | |
| Donations (day-to-day) | £4k £16 per pupil | -94% -96% real | £8 | |
| Donations for buildings and equipment | Not reported in academy accounts | |||
| Facilities and services | £47k £183 per pupil | £92 | ||
| Catering income | £9k £35 per pupil | -10% -29% real | £63 | |
| Other DfE grants | £6k £23 per pupil | £201 | ||
Other DfE grants is a container line. It includes the grants that cover higher employer pension and National Insurance costs, which cannot be separated out, so no figure is shown for them on their own. Not every rise in a school's income is extra spending power. When the government raised what schools pay as employers into staff pensions and National Insurance, it gave schools grants to cover the bill. The IFS describes this as extra money to pay for extra outgoings, with no change in real resources. About £2.3 billion of the growth in school funding between 2019–20 and 2025–26 was this kind of grant. So when a school's income jumps, check whether its staff costs jumped by the same amount: the money may simply have passed through. (IFS, p. 50)
Academy accounts don't report pupil premium as a separate line, so it is shown as not reported rather than as zero.
Where it goes
| Line | 2024-25 | Trend per pupil | Change per pupil since 2018-19 | Similar schools (median per pupil) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total spending | £1.7m £6,482 per pupil | +45% +14% real | £7k | |
| Teachers | £816k £3,175 per pupil | +39% +10% real | £3k | |
| Supply staff | £21k £82 per pupil | +8% -15% real | £67 | |
| Support staff | £380k £1,479 per pupil | +97% +55% real | £1k | |
| Office and admin staff | £58k £226 per pupil | +49% +17% real | £299 | |
| Premises staff | £51k £198 per pupil | +42% +12% real | £166 | |
| Catering staff | £0 £0 per pupil | -100% -100% real | £0 | |
| Other staff costs | £61k £237 per pupil | -7% -27% real | £167 | |
| All staff costs | £1.3m £5,198 per pupil | +48% +16% real | £5k | |
| Premises | £83k £323 per pupil | +72% +35% real | £393 | |
| Energy | £29k £113 per pupil | +151% +95% real | £118 | |
| Rates, water and other building costs | £150k £584 per pupil | +49% +17% real | £607 | |
| Catering | £99k £385 per pupil | +34% +5% real | £306 | |
| Learning resources | £56k £218 per pupil | +35% +7% real | £335 | |
| Supplies and services | £97k £377 per pupil | +11% -12% real | £635 | |
| Bought-in services | £30k £117 per pupil | +75% +38% real | £168 |
Staff costs were 80% of this school's spending in 2024-25. Across England, over 80% of schools' costs are staff costs. (IFS, p. 63)
In 2025-26 prices, this school spent £1.7m £6,607 per pupil in 2024-25. Across England, primary schools are expected to spend about £7,000 per pupil in 2025–26. (IFS, p. 7)
Academy figures exclude the trust's central spending on its schools, so they can look lower than a council-run school's. See the trust's central spending below.
Pupils by year
- 2018-19 330.0
- 2019-20 338.0
- 2020-21 337.0
- 2021-22 317.5
- 2022-23 296.0
- 2023-24 271.0
- 2024-25 257.0
Pupil numbers fell from 330.0 to 257.0 (22% fewer) over the years shown.
Schools are mostly funded per pupil, so fewer pupils means less money. Costs do not fall in step: a class with a few fewer pupils still needs a teacher. Primary schools in England have already lost about 100,000 pupils (3%) between 2019–20 and 2024–25, and are expected to lose over 300,000 more (about 8%) by 2030–31. Secondary numbers are expected to start falling from about 2026–27. The IFS points out that money is only saved if schools actually reduce what they spend, such as staff or the number of schools. That is why a well-run school with falling numbers can still find its budget under pressure. (IFS, pp. 19, 64)
Trust central spending
What LINCOLN ANGLICAN ACADEMY TRUST spent centrally per pupil, on top of this school's own accounts:
- 2018-19 £335
- 2019-20 £292
- 2020-21 £361
- 2021-22 £433
- 2022-23 £660
- 2023-24 £669
- 2024-25 £766
These are cash figures. The IFS average below is in 2025-26 prices.
On average, academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24, money that is not counted in their individual schools' own spending. (IFS, p. 56)
Money raised by parents
| School year | Raised | Spent |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 year to July 2021 | £922 £3 per pupil | £791 £2 per pupil |
| 2019-20 year to July 2020 | £4k £11 per pupil | £4k £12 per pupil |
| 2018-19 year to July 2019 | £4k £12 per pupil | £7k £22 per pupil |
| 2017-18 year to July 2018 | £6k | £8k |
- CONINGSBY ST MICHAEL PTA (charity 1035618) Last reported income: £922 £3 per pupil in the year to July 2021. It reports 10 volunteers. Annual return due 31 May 2018.
Each return is placed in the school year that holds the end of the charity's financial year, and per-pupil figures use that year's pupils. A parents' association's money is its own and isn't in the school's accounts above. Money a parents' association gives the school can also appear in the school's own accounts as donations, so the two can overlap. They are shown separately here and never added together.
Across England, the typical registered parents' association raised £50 per pupil in 2025-26.
Intake and area
- 29% of pupils eligible for free school meals (median school: council 28%, England 22%)
- Neighbourhood deprivation decile 2 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- Income deprivation affecting children: decile 3 of 10 (1 = most deprived)
- 18% of adults nearby hold a degree-level qualification
- 56% of nearby homes are owner-occupied
- 19% of nearby homes are social rented
Intake band 4 of 5 nationally, combining free-school-meal eligibility and the deprivation of the school's neighbourhood (1 = least disadvantaged, 5 = most).
Context, not a judgement: schools with different intakes get different funding and face different costs.
How my school's money is split
For pupils: out of every pound the school spent in 2024-25, here is roughly where it went, with the amount for each pupil.
- Teachers £837k £3,257 per pupil
- Support staff £380k £1,479 per pupil
- Buildings and grounds £83k £323 per pupil
- Energy £29k £113 per pupil
- Learning resources £56k £218 per pupil
- Everything else £281k £1,093 per pupil
National context
- Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) between 2024–25 and 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- Council-run primary schools spend about £400 (6%) more per pupil than primary academies, and council-run secondaries about £300 (4%) more, partly because trusts spend some money centrally. (IFS, p. 56)
- Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year of extra support for a pupil with special needs from their own budget. (IFS, p. 46)
Questions to ask the school
Useful for parents, governors and PTFA committees.
- What is Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School's £237k £921 per pupil reserve being kept for, and is there a timetable to spend it?
- How many pupils does Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School expect in each year group over the next three years? Why ask: Primary pupil numbers in England are expected to fall by over 300,000 (about 8%) by 2030–31. (IFS, p. 19)
- How many pupils at Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School have an EHCP or need extra support, and how is support above the first £6,000 a year funded? Why ask: Mainstream schools are expected to fund the first £6,000 a year per pupil from their core budget. (IFS, p. 46)
- How much of Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School's funding does LINCOLN ANGLICAN ACADEMY TRUST keep centrally each year, and what does the school get for it? Why ask: Academy trusts spent £510 per pupil centrally in 2023–24 on average. (IFS, p. 56)
- How much does the PTA (or friends' association) raise each year, and what does it pay for?
- Is any of it already committed, for example to building work or to cover a planned overspend?
- Is the school planning to merge classes, share staff or work more closely with another school?
- Does the council's top-up money arrive on time and cover what the support actually costs?
Check at source
Every figure here comes from the school's published return. Check it on the DfE benchmarking page for this school, and see how the figures are worked out.
Similar schools: the closest in phase, size and share of pupils on free school meals.
- Teagues Bridge Primary School
- Northgate Primary School
- Glenfield Infant School
- Stroud Valley Community Primary School
- Whipperley Infant Academy
Admissions and catchments for Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School on Schools in Reach · All Lincolnshire school finances · Schools in Louth and Horncastle · LINCOLN ANGLICAN ACADEMY TRUST
- DfE Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool data: CFR returns for council-run schools (April to March) and academy accounts returns (September to August), Open Government Licence v3.0
- Get Information about Schools, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Charity Commission register, Open Government Licence v3.0
- National context: IFS, Annual report on education spending in England: 2025–26 (January 2026); IFS figures are in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, November 2025)
- Real-terms figures on this page: in 2025-26 prices (HM Treasury GDP deflator, October 2026)